Semiconductor packages that provide mechanical mounting and electrical interconnection of a semiconductor die are commonly provided in ball grid array and land grid array configurations. A semiconductor die is electrically connected to a substrate with a grid array terminals disposed on the “bottom” side of the semiconductor package and solder balls are attached for connection to a system substrate, typically a printed circuit board (PCB) having lands located to attach the solder balls of the semiconductor package (referred to as ball grid array or BGA attach). Alternatively, conductive paste, a socket or “interposer” may be used to provide contacts between lands of the semiconductor package and lands on the system substrate (referred to as land grid array or LGA connection).
Typical system interconnect of grid array type packaging is generally two-dimensional. That is, multiple grid array devices are mounted on a PCB in different locations along the surface of the PCB and interconnected via circuit traces on or within the PCB. Such mounting is suitable for small, thin assemblies, but when the area of a PCB is of concern in a design, or in systems where other components are much taller than the semiconductor packages are present, it would be desirable to require less circuit board area by stacking semiconductor packages.
Specific semiconductor packages used for implementing three-dimensional stacked packages are well known in the art. However, such packaging is typically not compatible with existing integrated circuit packages, so that two or more integrated circuits that are “stacked” must all be designed for stacking.
Also, when combining multiple semiconductor packages in an assembly, at times it is advantageous to permit removal of at least of one semiconductor package, so that when one semiconductor package is used with one of multiple alternative other semiconductor packages in a three-dimensional configuration, the interconnect between a semiconductor package may be standardized and so that one of the semiconductor packages may be removed and replaced without removing the other.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a semiconductor package that facilitates stacking of grid arrays and a method of manufacturing such a semiconductor package. It would further be desirable to provide such a package that provides mounting of another grid array or other semiconductor package that is removable and that may be interchangeably standardized.